How to Raise a Family
by StoryGirl1997
Summary: Sequel to How to Raise a Dragon. Hiccup, Astrid, Toothless, Stormfly, Starlight, and Mortem are all a family now, but what happens when the family begins to expand?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

**The gang is back, and things are going to get very exciting around here!**

* * *

_Here on Berk, things change when you least expect them to. And it can change fast. Believe me, I should know. Things have changed big time over the last few days. Now, no one would have thought that I would be living in a house of my own, with Astrid as my wife, or with a Red Death for a son. Not even me. But, like I said, things change. And I've grown fond of it rather quickly. But, unfortunately there are still a few things that seem like they never change._

Hiccup was sleeping in his bed with Astrid. It had been only a few days since their wedding, but they had already gotten used to sleeping together. And it could've been a lot better if it hadn't been for...

Something slammed against the roof of the house. Hiccup woke up and groaned, covering his head with the blanket. There was no doubt that Toothless was up, and jumping on the roof to get his attention. Hiccup had forgotten all about Toothless's wake-up call, and it was having a big effect on him sleeping in. He was used to it, but not fond of it. Toothless had been doing it ever since the Dragon War had ended, before Mortem was born.

Toothless jumped on the roof again, roaring this time, hoping that Hiccup would get the message and get up. Today was a big day for Toothless, he and Starlight would officially become mates, as long as he was able to mate with her. And to do that, he had to be able to fly. And he couldn't fly without Hiccup.

Hiccup rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but Toothless kept jumping on the roof and roaring.

The noise woke up Astrid, who groaned. Hiccup sighed. "I could have warned you about this," he said. Astrid shrugged. "I don't mind," she said, "Besides, I can get used to it." Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Took me a while to do that," he said.

Toothless roared again. Finally, Hiccup gave up. "Alright, alright, alright. I'm coming!" He quickly got up and started to head for the door, but Astrid stopped him. "Does he do that every morning?" Hiccup shrugged. "Yes, but not usually as early as this." Astrid smiled, got out of bed, and walked up to him. "What do you mean not as early?" she asked. Hiccup turned so that he was facing her. "I mean he's never up this early in the morning." He hung his head. "I'm sorry you had to wake up like this." "I don't mind," Astrid said, "I'm sure that I can get used to it. I mean, well, you did, so why shouldn't I?" Hiccup looked up at her and smiled. Unfortunately for him, Toothless chose that particular moment to roar and jump on the roof again.

Hiccup sighed. "I'm coming, Toothless!" he said. He then turned to Astrid. "I gotta go," he said. Astrid nodded, and said, "Go." Hiccup nodded. He was about to leave, when Astrid grabbed his shoulders, pulled him to her, and kissed him. She didn't give Hiccup time to respond, as the kiss ended as quickly as it started. "I'll see you later," Astrid said, smiling. Hiccup smiled back. "See you." He turned and walked to the door. He was about to open it, when he looked back at Astrid. "I love you," he said. "I love you too," Astrid said. Hiccup smiled at her before opening the door and stepping outside.

Just as Hiccup had assumed, Toothless was on the roof, looking down at him. Hiccup shut the door and looked up at the midnight-black dragon. "Night Fury," he muttered, "More like six-o'clock-in-the-morning Fury." Toothless warbled, seemingly trying to laugh. The dragon jumped down from the roof and went next to where Starlight was lying down. She had been waiting for her mate and his trainer so that they could go flying. Toothless walked up to her, and they nuzzled. Toothless looked back at Hiccup, who was at least three feet away from the two.

Hiccup shook his head, a look of realization in his eyes. "Oh, no," he said, "No, no, no, no, no. Toothless, I know what you're thinking! No, no, no, no, no, no, no! There is no way that I'm going to go on a flight with you just so that I can witness you and Starlight's mating ritual!" Toothless glared at his friend. Then, his features softened, and his pupils widened until they nearly took up the whole space in his eyes. Hiccup shook his head again. "No, no, no. Toothless, no! Don't give me the sad puppy eyes!" But who could say no to such an adorable face? "Alright, fine! I'll help you, okay? Happy now?!" Toothless gave Hiccup the Look.

"_Yes, yes I am._"

* * *

Toothless, Hiccup, and Starlight were soaring above the clouds. The two dragons were getting ready for their ritual. Hiccup, however, wasn't looking forward to it. The thought of him falling out of the saddle, and the thought of having to witness dragons mating up close and personal made him feel sick to the stomach. But he knew that there was no backing down. His friends needed his help, and that's what they were getting.

Hiccup held on tightly to the saddle as Toothless and Starlight began flying around one another, occasionally coming close enough so that Hiccup could touch the female Night Fury. Like he even wanted to.

Soon, the dragons locked their talons together and began free-falling down towards the ocean. Now Hiccup began to freak out. The thought of splashing down in the cold ocean in the morning was more than he could take. He tried to get Toothless to pull up, but it was no use. The two dragons were locked in each others talons, spinning towards the water, their speed increasing rapidly. Hiccup braced himself for the cold water to make contact with his skin. He yelled as they continued to approach the water, "TOOTHLESS!"

The two dragons pulled apart, just barely skimming the top of the ocean. The deed was done. The two dragons had mated. Hiccup opened his eyes and saw what had occurred. "Oh," he said to himself. That really wasn't too bad. It could have gone a lot worse, as far as he was concerned.

* * *

It didn't take long for the trio to get back home. It was easy to tell which house it was, with the juvenile Red Death lying next to it and all. Toothless was the first to land, and Hiccup scrambled out of the saddle and got down on all fours. "I never thought I'd be so happy to see the ground again!" he said. Toothless rolled his eyes.

Seeing his father, Mortem roared happily. Hiccup got up and ran over to meet him. "Hey, big guy," he said, "I didn't get to say good morning to you before we left." Mortem cooed softly, which was his way of saying hello. "He's really happy to see you," said a voice. Hiccup turned to see Astrid leaning up against the wall of the house, smiling. Stormfly was there too, and she seemed to be smiling.

Hiccup gulped. "How much did you see?" he asked. "Pretty much all of it," Astrid replied. "Even the thing about the ground?" Hiccup asked. "Yes," Astrid said. Hiccup sighed. "I'll bet that was a sight to see." Astrid shrugged. "At least you didn't kiss it," she said. Hiccup smiled and walked over to her. "Trust me," he said, "There's something else I would rather kiss than the ground." "And what would that be?" Astrid asked, hoping Hiccup would take the bait. He did.

Closing his eyes, Hiccup brought his lips to hers, cupping her face with his hands and gently stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. Astrid smiled in the kiss and returned his affection in kind. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in closer. The dragons watched as the two got more and more affectionate, all smiling. It seemed like hours before the two of them pulled apart, and when they did, their eyes met. Astrid smiled at her husband. "I love you," she said softly. Hiccup smiled back at her. "I love you too," he said, and then he pulled her back in for another kiss.

* * *

**A short first chapter, but the start of the sequel. Poor Hiccup! He couldn't say "No" to the adorable, sad puppy eyes! Leave a review, and I'll try to update as soon as I can!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

**I'm sure that with the dragons' mating ritual over with, we'll be expecting some mini-Toothlesses running around on the island. And also some other things...**

* * *

Hiccup was a little embarrassed that Astrid had seen him almost worshiping the ground. But it didn't take long for the two of them to forget about it. Besides, there was something that Astrid wanted to talk about with Hiccup.

The truth was, Astrid had a crush on him since they first met. But since Hiccup was not much like a Viking, and with her becoming more tough and athletic, she mostly ignored it. But now she loved him more than anything, and it had been that way since her first flight. She never told him though, until the day she and Hiccup found Mortem's egg on Dragon Island. When Mortem hatched, he imprinted on Hiccup, since he was the first thing he saw after he hatched, and he followed him and Astrid back to Berk. Agreeing to help Hiccup raise the young dragon, Astrid helped to try and keep Mortem a secret.

It wasn't until the late evening that same day that Hiccup had finally confessed to Astrid that he loved her. Astrid then told him that she loved him too, and with that, Hiccup had initiated a kiss with her. They had been together ever since then, and a few weeks after Mortem had hatched, Hiccup proposed to her, and she agreed to marry him. And now here she was, living with her one true love and helping him raise the dragon that they had adopted.

Astrid had time to reflect on everything that they had been through, and she remembered when she and Stormfly were accidentally knocked out by Mortem's Supernova. She had been knocked out cold, but she could remember hearing Hiccup's voice. "Please, Astrid. I don't know what to do without you." He had said to her twice how he didn't know what he'd do without her. Just the thought of never being able to see each other again was too much for Astrid. _I don't know what I would do without you either, Hiccup. I love you._

Hiccup had been gone for the whole day to help his dad with his chief duties, and also to run the dragon academy. Astrid didn't feel like showing up that day. She just wanted time to think about their relationship, and a few other things as well.

When Hiccup came back, Astrid was sitting at the table, by herself, like the one time that she and Hiccup had decided to spend time together at her house. Hiccup frowned. He didn't like seeing Astrid like this. He walked over and sat down next to her. "Is there something bothering you?" he asked.

Astrid sighed. "Can you promise me something?" Hiccup shrugged. "Sure, anything." "Promise that you'll never leave me," Astrid said. Hiccup was confused. "I would never leave you," he said, "Not in a thousand years." Astrid sighed and covered her face with her hands. "You said that you didn't know what you'd do without me," she said through tears, "And I don't know what I'd do without you either."

Hiccup felt pity for her. He hated to see her upset. He embraced her gently. Astrid uncovered her face and buried it into his shoulder, hugging him back. "I don't want to lose you," she sobbed, "You're the only one for me." Hiccup tried to calm her down. "It's okay. I'm right here with you. You don't have to cry." However, a few tears slid down his cheeks as he said this. For some reason, he couldn't let go of the image of her lying unconscious in his arms, and himself begging her to wake up so he could know that she was okay.

Astrid calmed down a little. "Promise that you'll never leave me," she said again. Hiccup hugged her tighter. "I'll never leave you," he said, "Just promise that you'll never leave me." Astrid hugged him tighter and buried her face further into his shoulder. "I promise," she said, her words muffled by his vest. Hiccup smiled, barely noticing as more tears fell down his face. "I love you, my Divine Beauty," he said softly. Astrid stopped crying long enough to answer him. "I love you too, Dragon Boy."

Hearing her soft, gentle words, Hiccup buried his face into her neck and started giving her tiny kisses. Feeling the kisses, Astrid smiled. She lifted one of her hands into his hair, her fingers getting tangled in it. Hiccup stopped kissing her when he felt her fingers in his hair. He pulled back and looked at her. The only thing he saw was her ocean blue eyes before she leaned in and tenderly kissed him.

It took Hiccup a minute to register what was going on. He closed his eyes, wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back. Astrid continued to run her fingers through his hair, pulling Hiccup closer and deepening the kiss. She would never leave his side, no matter what happened. _I'll never leave you either, Astrid. I love you._

The kiss seemed to last forever, and it probably would have if Astrid hadn't pulled back out of it. Hiccup opened his eyes and met her eyes. "Is something else wrong?" he asked. Astrid sighed. "There's something else that we have to talk about," she said.

* * *

Mortem was outside, waiting for his parents to finish talking. He had tried to hear what was going on, but he decided to try and not ruin their privacy. He had been waiting for Hiccup to come home from work since the moment he left. When Hiccup had arrived, Mortem was overjoyed to see him. It took all of the dragonet's strength to not bound over to meet Hiccup, knowing that he would probably cause damage to the village.

Hiccup went to meet Mortem, patting him on the nose and saying how happy he was to see him. After a quick welcoming nuzzle from Mortem, Hiccup went inside to talk to Astrid. Mortem watched as his father went inside, silently hoping that he'd be back out soon.

Toothless and Starlight were lying in the grass together, Toothless's wing draped over his mate, who was looking up at him with love in her eyes. Stormfly was lying next to Mortem, waiting impatiently for her trainer to come out and see her. "_How long have they been in there?_" she asked to no one in particular. Mortem sighed. "_I was going to ask the same thing,_" he said, "_I really want to spend some time with them for once._" "_That's obviously because you love them,_" Stormfly said. Mortem lifted his head and looked at her. "_How do you know about that?_" he asked.

Stormfly sighed. "_I've spent more time with Astrid than you ever have,_" she said, "_We've been through many things together. Races with Toothless and Hiccup, the winter holiday, the Thawfest games, battles against the Outcasts, and even a few training sessions in the forest. We're as close as you can get with friends._" "_What's the winter holiday and what are the Thawfest games?_" Mortem asked.

"_They call their winter holiday Snoggletog,_" Stormfly explained, "_And don't ask me why they chose such a stupid name, 'cause no one knows. It happens to be the one upside for Devastating Winter. They all spend it with the people they love, and they happen to exchange gifts to one another. It's a really remarkable holiday. It also happens to be the time of year in which all of us dragons migrate to New Birth Island to lay our eggs. But we come back to our home, usually when our babies are big enough to fly. But thanks to Hiccup, we were able to make it back early last year._" "_What about the Thawfest games?_" Mortem asked.

"_The Thawfest games,_" Stormfly said, "_Is when the Viking teens test their skills in a competition held every year. Last year was the first time us dragons were a part of the games. I heard that every year, that big oaf Snotlout won every single Thawfest he competed in. Last time, Hiccup came close to beating him, but he threw the competition and let Snotlout win._" "_Why didn't Dad win?_" Mortem asked. "_His victories were changing his personality,_" Stormfly explained, "_He began gloating, and 'rattling cages,' and things he never did before in his life. And believe me when I say that Astrid hated his change in character._" "_How come?_" Mortem asked.

Stormfly sighed again. _So many questions,_ she thought. "_Astrid said that one thing that she always liked about Hiccup was that he was always a gracious loser,_" Stormfly said, "_And she had never known that he would be such a lousy winner._" "_So Dad threw the competition for her?_" Mortem asked. Stormfly shrugged. "_I guess you could put it that way,_" she said.

Their conversation ended when Hiccup suddenly rushed out of the house. He rushed up to Mortem and hugged him. "Guess what, Mortem," he said. Mortem looked down at his father. "_What?_" he said, although he knew that Hiccup couldn't understand him. Hiccup looked up at his son and smiled.

"You're gonna be a big brother!"

* * *

**They're gonna have a baby! And you'll see Mortem's reaction in the next chapter. And now Mortem knows all about the Vikings' traditions, and might even get the chance to enjoy them himself. Please leave a review, follow, or favorite!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

**There's gonna be a new addition to the Haddock family, but are they ready for it? Also, does anyone else think that I should send How to Raise a Dragon to Dreamworks?**

* * *

Mortem couldn't believe what Hiccup had said.

_I'm gonna be a big brother?_ he said in his thoughts. He looked at Stormfly, who shrugged. He turned to Toothless and Starlight, who both wore matching expressions of surprise. He looked down at Hiccup, who was still hugging him. He thought about it more before it finally sunk in. _I'm gonna be a big brother!_ But then another question crossed his mind. _Will it be a boy or girl?_

No one knew what gender the baby would be, and of course Mortem didn't know that the parents never found out until after the baby was born. And that wasn't going to be until at least 8 or 9 months. But Hiccup didn't care. He and Astrid were going to have a baby. A human baby. Someone who would inherit traits from both of them. He couldn'tve been happier than he was now.

Astrid came outside to see Hiccup hugging Mortem and felt guilty. The truth was, she wasn't sure if she was ready for something like this. Sure they already had a son, but he was a dragon, and he was easy to raise because they knew enough about dragons to know how to handle him. But neither of them had any experience with a human baby, and that worried her. She wanted to tell Hiccup, but she didn't want to disappoint him. Not while he was so happy. But she had to tell him the truth.

Hiccup soon noticed Astrid and let go of Mortem and walked over to her. "Can you believe it?" he asked. Astrid shrugged. "I'm not sure," she said. Noticing that something was bothering her, Hiccup frowned. "Are you okay?" he asked. Astrid sighed. "I can't lie to you," she said, "I'm not sure if I want this." "What do you mean you're not sure if..." Hiccup was cut off by his wife's protest. "I don't know if I want this baby."

After hearing her say that, Hiccup didn't know what to do or say. He honestly wasn't sure if he was ready to have this baby either. He assumed that telling her would make her feel better, but there was only one way to be sure. "I'm not sure if I'm ready for this either."

Hearing what he said, Astrid felt a little better, but still worried.

Hiccup continued. "When you told me about the baby, I was both nervous and excited. I thought that we both wanted it, but now I know that you feel the same way I do. Neither of us know if we're ready, but honestly, there's not much we can do about it. We did this," he pointed to her stomach, "And I'm going to help you get through it no matter what. I promise."

Astrid sighed and placed a hand on her stomach. "You're right," she said, "We did this, and we're going to go through this together." She gave him a small smile. Hiccup smiled back at her and pulled her into a hug.

Mortem watched the two of them talking and he smiled when he saw the two of them work it out. _I hope that I'll be ready to be a big brother when it's time,_ he thought to himself.

* * *

A few days went by, and during that time, Starlight began to spend less and less time flying, and she and the other dragons were the only ones who knew why. When Hiccup and Astrid asked Mortem what was going on, Mortem wrote in the dirt to tell them.

STARLIGHT IS GOING TO LAY EGGS.

Hiccup and Astrid were a little surprised with this, but it made sense. Starlight was going to lay eggs, and she needed to rest.

"_I knew that this would happen,_" Toothless said to his mate, "_I'm going to be a father._" Starlight nodded. "_Yes, but you'll have to wait until the breeding season for your children,_" she said. "_But I can't fly without Hiccup,_" Toothless said. "_I'm sure that he'll think of something,_" Starlight said, "_It's what he does, isn't it?_"

Later that evening, Hiccup had planned something special for Astrid. He mounted Toothless and asked Astrid to come along. Astrid walked up to Toothless. Before she could mount the dragon, Hiccup held out his hand, offering to help her up. Smiling, Astrid took his hand. Hiccup pulled her up onto the saddle behind him. He nudged Toothless gently. "Okay Toothless, let's go." Toothless took off, heading straight up into the sky. The sun was setting.

From the ground, the sunset was beautiful, but up in the air, it seemed even more so. The sky was a mix of pink and orange, getting darker as the sun continued to disappear on the horizon. Astrid couldn't remember seeing anything so beautiful. "It's amazing," she said. Hiccup smiled. "Just wait, it gets better." He steered Toothless into the clouds, which reminded both him and Astrid of the romantic flight. As they flew higher and higher, Astrid tightened her grip around Hiccup's torso. Hiccup placed one of his hands on top of hers. "Enjoying the flight?" he asked. "I love it," Astrid said, "But not as much as I love you." Hiccup's smile widened. "I love you too." He turned and glanced at her stomach. "Both of you."

* * *

The days molded into weeks, and in no time at all it was winter on Berk. And when there's winter, there's Devastating Winter. And when there's Devastating Winter, there's, of course, Snoggletog. And during the time it took for winter to arrive, Hiccup became aware of Toothless having to leave with Starlight for the Breeding Migration. So he made a new tailfin that would enable Toothless to fly by himself, similar to the one he made last year, only more suited for long flights in harsh weather. Surely the tailfin would suit Toothless well.

As the weeks went by, Astrid's pregnancy began to show. Her stomach got bigger, and all the while she felt heavier. But Hiccup kept saying that she never looked more beautiful. It didn't take long for the other villagers to find out, since it was visibly obvious. But no one tried to mention it, especially to Astrid Haddock. That is, unless they wanted a broken arm. Astrid was very sensitive about her appearance, especially at a time like this, and she happened to lose her temper whenever she heard people talk about it. Oddly, she didn't have any problems if Hiccup happened to mention it to her.

It was at least a week before Snoggletog when all of the Vikings began to decorate for it, and this time, they had Mortem to help them reach high places that they couldn't reach before. Mortem was happy to help. He didn't know what he'd do if he hadn't been accepted into the village.

It was that time of the year that the dragons would be migrating again, and nearly everyone knew that. Since Mortem was too young to produce his own child, he would have to stay behind. Not like that bothered him. He had wanted to see how the Vikings spent the holiday.

Hiccup was back at the house, attaching the tailfin onto Toothless's tail. It fit and functioned very well. Now Toothless could go with Starlight to New Birth Island.

Speaking of Starlight, she was in the village, talking to Stormfly. "_What exactly is it like to have children?_" Starlight asked. "_It's a rather busy job,_" Stormfly said, "_But I can promise you that it's very rewarding._" Knowing that Stormfly had experience with raising dragonets, Starlight knew that she could trust her.

Stoick and Gobber were walking around the village, watching as Mortem helped the other Vikings hang up the decorations. "First we spend the holiday with dragons," Stoick said, "And now we have a Red Death celebrating it with us! What would our fathers say?" Gobber shook his head. "They'd think we'd gone insane," he said. Stoick laughed. Hearing the noise, Mortem turned to look at his grandfather. _He still kind of gives me the creeps,_ he decided.

It was that time when a loud roar sounded. Mortem and the others looked up to see a pack of dragons flying off somewhere. The dragons on Berk began to take off and follow them. this time, the Vikings knew where they were going.

Hearing the noise, Toothless's ears perked up, and his pupils thinned out. Noticing this, Hiccup realized it was time for Toothless to leave. He ducked as the Night Fury took off of the ground and went to join his mate, who was flying next to Stormfly. The only dragon that didn't leave was Mortem, or course. He sat and watched as the other dragons left for their breeding season, knowing that someday he would join them.

* * *

**A bit of a rush, but altogether a good cahpter, I think. Also, I tried to send an email, to Dreamworks about the story three times, and it didn't work. I know for sure that I'm using the right email, and I don't know what's going on. If anyone has any suggestions for sending the story and solutions for the email problem, leave a review and tell me what you thought of the chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

**Mortem had to stay behind for the holiday, and who knows how it'll turn out.**

* * *

Being unable to breed yet, Mortem was the only dragon left on Berk. Even Torch and his siblings left with their new-found mates. Mortem had never felt so alone. There were no other dragons to talk to, or even play with. He hoped that the other dragons would come back soon.

As much as it was nice to have Mortem stay, it was clear that the Vikings still missed the other dragons. But this time, they all knew where the dragons had flown off to. And now Toothless was with them. But that didn't mean that they weren't lonely without the dragons.

With nothing to do, the teens decided to go to the Dragon Academy. Mortem went with them, but since he had gotten too big to fit through the entrance, he waited outside for them to come out.

"Y'know, despite the fact that we know where they went, it's still depressing," Ruffnut complained. "Yeah," Tuffnut said, "Wait, where did they go?" Astrid gave Hiccup a look that said, "please tell me he's kidding." Hiccup shrugged. Snotlout turned to Fishlegs. "Tell me that you didn't lock up your dragon again," he said. "What? No, of course I didn't!" Fishlegs said. Everyone looked at him. "If you know what's good for you, you better not be lying," Astrid said. Fishlegs scampered off. Whether he did or didn't lock up Meatlug again, obviously he was going to prove that he had let her go this time.

"Why didn't that giant dragon go with them when he had the chance?" Snotlout asked. Clearly, he was talking about Mortem. "He's too young to breed," Hiccup said, "He couldn't go even if he wanted to." Snotlout and the twins gave him a look. "Are you as stupid as Fishlegs?" Tuffnut asked. Ruffnut nodded. "Boy dragons can't lay eggs, only the girls can lay eggs." "That's not how it works with the Red Death," Hiccup explained, "Both males and females lay eggs. Mortem told me that." "Really? How?" Snotlout asked. "He writes in the dirt," Hiccup said, "Or most recently, the snow."

Snotlout didn't believe Hiccup, but the twins were impressed. "Wow, if Fishlegs was here, he'd really be asking questions," Tuffnut said. "You really buy all of that?" Snotlout asked. The twins both nodded. Snotlout rolled his eyes. "You guys are total idiots," he muttered under his breath. From outside the academy, Mortem whined. "Don't pay any attention to them Mortem," Hiccup said. He then noticed that Astrid wasn't with him. Looking around, he noticed her in the far corner of the arena.

He walked over to her, noticing that she was trying not to be noticed by the others. She had left his side to go and stand alone in the corner, her hand on her stomach. Hiccup stopped when he was at least two feet away from her. "Is there something wrong?" he asked. Astrid sighed. "Don't tell anyone that I said this," she said, keeping her back to Hiccup, "But I'm scared."

Hiccup was confused. "What?" Astrid sighed again. "I'm scared, okay? I'm still not sure if I want this." Now it was Hiccup's turn to sigh. "Astrid, we talked about this, there's not much that we can do, except for preparing for it. We can't just get rid of it and let it come back when we know that we're ready for it. Whether we want it or not, we're going to have this baby. And we can only prepare for it." There was a moment of silence. Neither of them said anything until Mortem growled in confusion. "Everything's fine, Mortem," Hiccup said. He turned back to Astrid. "And, honestly, we have at least a few more months before this baby arrives. Maybe more." Astrid sighed. "I'm not sure how that's helping," she said. "My point is that you still have time to grow to love this baby," Hiccup said. "I'm not saying that I don't love it," Astrid said, "I'm saying that I don't want it right now." "Trust me," Hiccup said, "When you grow to love this baby, you'll know for sure if you want it or not."

Astrid heard every word that Hiccup said, but she wasn't sure if what he was saying was true. The truth was, she knew that she didn't really have much of a choice, since they would have the baby whether they wanted it or not. She wanted to love him or her, but she didn't think that she was ready for it.

Knowing that Astrid was under pressure, Hiccup decided to try and help her. With her back still turned to him, he walked up to her and hugged her gently. He felt Astrid relax in the embrace, and he moved one of his hands down to her stomach and rubbed it gently. Maybe it was his imagination, but he could have sworn he felt something move in there.

Snotlout and the twins had been watching, saying nothing as the couple continued to talk about their feelings for the baby. Now with the two of them silent, they figured that it was their turn to talk. "I bet you fifty gold coins it's a boy," Tuffnut said to his sister. "I bet you fifty gold coins it's a girl," Ruffnut said. "I bet both of you a hundred gold coins that you won't shut up!" Snotlout yelled. "Hey, she started it," Tuffnut protested, pointing at Ruffnut. "No, I didn't!" Ruffnut said, punching him in the face. As the twins continued arguing, Snotlout muttered under his breath, "They're definitely total idiots."

Astrid and Hiccup paid no attention to the others as they embraced, both of them looking down at Astrid's swollen stomach. "You know," Hiccup said, "I'm happy either way. But what do you think?" Astrid shrugged. "I kind of hope it's a boy," she said. Hiccup gave her a small smile, and then continued to rub her stomach, with Astrid watching him.

Mortem had watched the scenes unfold, and he couldn't help but feel sorry for his parents. _I wonder if I'll be ready to breed when it's time,_ he said in his thoughts, _That is, once I'm old enough. And how will I know for sure when it's time?_ The dragonet hadn't had much of an explanation of how dragons breed, and his curiosity was getting the best of him. He'd been told that humans give birth to live babies, and from what he was told, it sounded painful.

All he could do was wait for his brother or sister, and hope that everything would turn out for the whole family.

* * *

Three days after the dragons had left for the breeding season, Mortem was already starting to get impatient for the rest of the family to return. He could hardly wait to see his new cousins, and it was getting harder for him to wait for his little brother or sister as well. "Just a few more months," Hiccup had said to Mortem. But Mortem was finding out the hard way how long a month really was. _This is going to be a long winter,_ he thought to himself.

With Toothless gone, Hiccup had more spare time in the morning, but he still missed his best friend. He could only guess that Toothless was doing well. Thanks to Toothless's wake-up calls, Hiccup had obtained the habit of waking up early, even when Toothless wasn't there. It didn't bother him that much since he knew where Toothless was, and it helped to have Astrid in bed with him.

The first thing that Hiccup saw when he woke up was Astrid, her back was to him, and she was sound asleep. Smiling, he embraced her gently, resting a hand on her stomach. This time, he knew for sure that there was something moving in there. Their baby. He rubbed Astrid's stomach gently, silently saying hello to their baby.

Astrid woke up when she felt Hiccup rub her stomach, and she remained silent and kept her breathing steady, trying to make Hiccup think that she was still asleep. She also felt the baby move, and she seemed to be happy. She and Hiccup had made this little life, and she had given herself a lot of time to think about it. She decided that there was nothing more important than being with her loved ones, and that this baby would be no exception. She now knew for sure that she wanted it.

She relaxed and remained quiet and still as Hiccup continued to embrace her and her stomach. Thinking that Astrid was still asleep, Hiccup leaned in and kissed her cheek softly. "I love you," he whispered. He gently rubbed her stomach again and added, "Both of you." Astrid opened her eyes and smiled. Of course Hiccup loved them both, they were two of the most important people in his life. She whispered just loud enough for him to hear, "I love you too."

Realizing that Astrid was awake, Hiccup smiled. "Do you love our baby too?" he asked. Astrid's smiled widened as she placed her left hand on her stomach. "I do love him," she said. She then rolled over do that she was now facing Hiccup. "But..." she began, but Hiccup finished for her. "Not as much as you love me, I know."

The two of them smiled at one another, happy that there was finally a moment with just them, and their baby. Hiccup pulled Astrid close, and she snuggled into his chest. They embraced, careful not to crush Astrid's stomach. "I love you," Astrid said softly. "I love you too," Hiccup said. Astrid's smile widened. "I know," she whispered.

As much as Hiccup missed Toothless, it was nice to have a few mornings in which he could lie in bed with his wife, cuddling with her. He could tell that Astrid liked it, too. They both liked it.

* * *

It wasn't until later that day when the two of them finally got out of bed and went out with Mortem. The dragonet still had some things to learn about Snoggletog, and he had been wondering if he had to exchange any gifts with anyone. Normally, dragons didn't give any gifts, but there were some occasions in which they had obtained something that they wanted to give to their trainers. Mortem was wondering if he could do the same.

It didn't help, however, that there weren't any other dragons to talk to.

Hiccup was in the forge, working on his gift for Astrid. He'd spent a lot of time on it recently, and it was a very unique item. It had taken him quite a while to finally find the material that he needed to make it, and he was hoping that he would be able to finish it before the Snoggletog party that was being held in the Great Hall on Snoggletog Eve.

As he continued to work on the gift, he secretly wondered how Toothless was doing.

* * *

**Can anyone guess the gift? If not, you can wait a little longer to know what it is. Also, the next chapter will focus on what the dragons are doing on New Birth Island. Review, follow, or favorite!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

**Now to see how Toothless and Starlight are doing. This is my Christmas/Snoggletog gift for all of you. Merry Christmas and Happy Snoggletog everyone!**

* * *

Toothless and Starlight never would have thought that they would be going on the breeding migration together with the other dragons. In fact, Toothless had begun to think that he would never have any dragonets.

Starlight, meanwhile, was overjoyed to be with her mate, and thanks to what she learned from Stormfly, she was looking forward to having eggs.

The trip to New Birth Island was a long one. But thanks to the new and strong tail fin that Hiccup had crafted, Toothless was able to make it through.

The island was beautiful, with rocky cliffs that provided a good resting place for the dragons so they could lay their eggs, and with a large water pool, along with a few smaller ones. The pools were used for the dragons to roll their eggs in, so that when they hatched, they didn't cause any damage when they exploded.

As he and Starlight hovered above the island, Toothless tried to look for the best spot for them to rest so Starlight could lay her eggs. But many of the spots by the water pools were taken, and many of the cliffs were crowded. Starlight pointed with her claw. "_There,_" she said, "_That's where we'll rest._" Toothless looked in the direction of her claw to see a small cliff that was further inland, right above the pools. "_Perfect,_"Toothless said. Starlight smiled at him warmly.

They both landed on the cliff, Starlight lying down soon after. She settled in and got comfortable. Now it was time to relax and let nature do the work. "_I think it's starting,_" Starlight said. Toothless couldn't contain his excitement. His mate was going to have an egg in a few minutes, and what's better, he was right here next to her._  
_

"_Calm down, Toothless,_" he said to himself. Starlight smiled as she watched her mate try to calm himself down.

After a few minutes, Starlight moved her tail aside to reveal an egg as black as night lying on the rocks. The egg was about six to seven inches long, and it had an unusually smooth surface.

Toothless was amazed. This was his egg. It was really _his_ egg.

Starlight smiled. "_There's more where that came from,_" she said.

_There's more,_ Toothless said in his thoughts. He had always hoped to be able to raise his own dragonets, but he had never thought about how many. He always figured that one or two would be good, but right now he didn't care how many there would be. He would be a father all the same.

In a few minutes, there were two more eggs next to the first one. "_Is there any more?_" Toothless asked. Starlight shook her head. "_That's all there is,_" she said.

_Three_ _eggs_, Toothless said in his thoughts. That meant that there was going to be three baby Night Furies. Three Night Fury dragonets. Toothless shook his head. "_I'm gonna be a father,_" he said. "_In a few days,_" Starlight added.

Apparently, Toothless was making quite a racket, because Stormfly noticed them and flew up to the small cliff they were on. She noticed the eggs and smiled at Starlight. Starlight smiled back. Toothless noticed his friend and realized how much noise he had been making, and quieted down.

Stormfly noticed that there were three eggs, and congratulated her friends. The other dragons noticed this and flew over to get a better look. Of course, there wasn't enough room on the cliff for all of the dragons, and they began pushing and shoving me another to get a better look at the eggs.

"_Everyone, calm down,_" Toothless said, "_One at a time, please._"

It took a while, but all of the dragons got a chance to look at the eggs. It was then that Toothless could finally settle down next to his mate and unhatched children.

Starlight sighed. "_I love you, Toothless,_" she said.

Toothless's eyes widened at what he heard. He loved Starlight too, but he had never heard her say that she had loved him. And he had rarely gotten the time to tell her his feelings. He turned to look at her. "_I love you too, Starlight,_" he said. He leaned in and nuzzled her gently. Starlight sighed at his gentle touch. Then she nudged him.

Toothless stood up. "_That's right,_" he said, "_I have to get us some food._" He then spread his wings and took off.

* * *

Three days went by, and many of the other dragons' eggs had hatched. But the Night Fury eggs hadn't moved a bit, and there was no sign of even a crack. Toothless was getting very impatient. He was starting to think that the eggs needed to be cracked open from the outside. But Starlight shook her head. "_The eggs will hatch when they're ready,_" she said, "_Not before._"

The next day, around noon, the eggs began to wobble. Starlight stood up and nudged Toothless, who was asleep. "_It's time, the eggs are hatching!_" Starlight said. Toothless woke with a start.

They each took an egg in their mouths, each of them retracting their teeth, and carried them to the big water pool. Toothless threw in the egg he was holding and turned around to go get the other. Starlight threw in her egg, and sat down, waiting for the babies to surface. Toothless soon joined her, the third egg in his mouth. He threw it in with the other two, and sat down next to his mate.

A minute later, there was a muffled explosion, and the two Night Furies leaned in to catch a glimpse of their offspring. Minutes later, a baby Night Fury surfaced, and took his first breath. He then swam over to the shore to meet his parents. He was a pale black, and his paws and underbelly were a bit of a grey-ish color, and his back spines were shorter than usual. But Toothless didn't care how he looked. He was still his son.

There was another explosion, and this time, a girl Night Fury surfaced. She was a very deep black, with a round white patch on her forehead, and white wing tips. She reminded Toothless of Starlight, a little bit. The feisty female swam over to meet her parents, along with her older brother.

A minute later, a third explosion broke the silence. Toothless leaned in to get a better look in the water. Nothing. The seconds ticked by, and there was still nothing. Toothless was getting worried. Had he lost one of his children? He started to turn away, when an extremely small Night Fury surfaced from the water pool. He was smaller than his siblings, and he looked exactly like Toothless. He was the most adorable thing that Toothless had ever seen in his entire life.

As the tiny baby joined his siblings, Toothless turned completely into mush. "_Look at them,_" he said to Starlight, "_They're absolutely perfect!_" Starlight greatly agreed.

* * *

The new family of Night Furies lay down on their cliff to rest. Toothless and Starlight tried to think of good names for their children. "_I think we should call her Eclipse,_" Toothless said, pointing at the girl. "_Why do you think that?_" Starlight asked, curiously. "_Doesn't the mark on her head remind you of the moon?_" Toothless asked. Starlight nodded. "_I was thinking of calling her Moonlight, but I think that Eclipse is a better name,_" she said.

She then pointed at the older boy. "_I want to call him Jet,_" she said. "_Why do you think so?_" Toothless asked. Starlight shrugged. "_I always wanted to name a little boy 'Jet',_" she said, "_I always thought that it would be a good name._" Toothless nodded. "_I like it,_" he said.

That left the small black Night Fury. "_I think we both know what we should call him,_" Toothless said, smiling at his mate. Starlight nodded. "_Toothless Junior,_" they both said in unison. "_Junior for short,_" Toothless added. "_I think I might call him Tootles,_" Starlight said. Toothless gave her a look. "_On occasion,_" Starlight added.

Just then, one of the dragons roared and lifted into the sky, it's babies riding on it's back. "_Looks like it's time for the Return Migration,_" Toothless said. He poked the kids with his tail. They all stretched their wings and woke up. "_Are you guys ready to go on your first big adventure?_" Toothless asked, with a hint of excitement in his voice. The babies all nodded eagerly. Jet and Junior climbed onto Toothless's back, while Eclipse climbed onto her mother's. The two big Night Furies took off and started to lead the other dragons back to Berk.

As they flew toward home, Toothless began to wonder how Hiccup was doing.

* * *

**The first two baby Night Furies were suggested by Stargazer767. Toothless Junior, I made up myself. And Stargazer, to write a story, you go into Doc Manager, and go down to Create New Document. Then you fill out how you want to submit the document. To post it, you have to go to the Rules and Guidelines, and then submit that you have read and agreed to them. Then you got I new story and fill out what kind of story you want to post, and then it posts onto the Archive you selected it to be in.**

**Anyone else who doesn't know how to do it can also follow this information. Thank you for the suggestions, Stargazer767.**

**Review, follow, favorite, and I hope that you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy Snoggletog!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

**The dragons are on their way back, and it's Snoggletog Eve.**

* * *

Things back on Berk were still lonely without the dragons. However, with Mortem around, the young Viking children had fun climbing up on his back and riding on his tail as he walked. Neither Mortem nor the Vikings got tired of that game. At least there was some way for Mortem to have fun without the other dragons around.

Hiccup had finished his gift for Astrid, and he had hidden it in his office in the forge. Hopefully, Astrid wouldn't be able to find it in there.

Unknown to him, Astrid was also hiding her gift for him, and she had decided to hide it somewhere in their house. She had to make sure that Hiccup didn't go anywhere near where she had hidden it, so whenever Hiccup came close, she did her best to direct him in another direction. This, of course, confused him greatly.

Mortem was playing with the other young Vikings when it happened. A hammer seemed to come out of nowhere, and it hit Mortem in the eye. The dragonet howled in pain, frightening the young Vikings.

Snotlout and the twins were hiding nearby, and next to them was a barrel of weapons. "You said this was going to be fun," Tuffnut complained. "Trust me, it gets better," Snotlout said with a sneer. He grabbed another hammer and chucked it at Mortem. It hit him on the side of his face. Mortem grunted and looked in the direction where the weapon had come from. Snotlout and the twins ducked back into their hiding place so that Mortem wouldn't see them. The three of them snickered quietly.

Not wanting anyone else to get hurt, Mortem nudged the Viking children away, silently promising himself to play with them again later. The young Vikings had just left when another hammer was thrown at Mortem, hitting his mouth and knocking out one of his teeth. "Ooh, that was a good one!" Ruffnut said. Tiuffnut snickered as Snotlout grabbed another weapon out of the barrel.

* * *

Hiccup was unaware of the trouble his son was in. He was looking for Astrid. He had assumed that she had been working on his present all week, as he had been working on hers. He thought that she would be at the house, but she wasn't. He then decided to check the forest. Sure enough, she was in the clearing where she practiced her axe throwing.

She was throwing her axe at the trees, with difficulty due to her swollen stomach. She couldn't keep her focus on her target, and she blamed that on her appearance. Her constant worry of her appearance was what was distracting her, but she assumed that she was worried about it because it was affecting her aim. Eventually, she gave up and went to sit down on a nearby rock.

Hiccup chose that moment to walk out from behind the tree where he was hiding. Astrid paid little attention to him as he approached. Hiccup sat down next to her on the rock. "Are you feeling okay?" he asked. Astrid sighed, her attention on her stomach instead of him. "I keep thinking that this baby is affecting they way I do things," she said. "You mean the way that you're so good with weapons?" Hiccup asked. Astrid sighed again. "I want this baby," she said, " I just don't want it now."

Now it was Hiccup's turn to sigh. "We've been through this before," he said, "We're having this baby, whether we want it right now, or not. And it's only a few months until it arrives." "I know," Astrid said, "But I'm..." "You're what?" Hiccup asked. Astrid looked up at him before she finished her sentence, "I'm scared."

Hiccup was confused. "What are you scared of?" he asked. "I'm worried that I won't be ready for the baby when it's time, and I'm afraid that I won't be a good enough mother to take care of it," Astrid said. Hiccup sighed. "Stop being so afraid of everything," he said. "I'm not afraid of everything," Astrid said stubbornly. "I meant everything concerning this baby," Hiccup said. "I'm still not afraid of everything," Astrid said. "Then why are you acting like you are?" Hiccup asked. Astrid looked at him with a worried expression. "I don't know," she said.

Hiccup sighed, his heart heavy with guilt and pity. "I'm scared too," he said. Astrid sat still and listened as he spoke. "This is unlike anything that either of us have experienced, and when I heard you say that you wanted it, I thought that it meant that you were ready for it, and that I would be ready for it too. I'm worried about this as much as you are, but there isn't anything that either of us can do about it. We can only prepare for it, and hope that we'll be ready for it when the time is right."

It helped to hear Hiccup say that he was also worried about the outcome of having the baby, but Astrid knew that nothing would prepare her for when it was time to actually deliver the baby. She had heard about how painful it was, and how it was supposed to work out, and she knew that of all the things she had been through, they would be nothing compared to anything related to giving birth.

"I want this baby," she said, "I love him almost as much as I love you. I just don't know if I'll be good enough for him." "You don't have to worry about that," Hiccup said, "I'll be right here with you, and I'll help you raise our baby. I promised that I would always be there for you when you needed me, and I'm not going to break that promise."

Astrid looked at him, a hopeful look in her eyes. He really did love her enough to keep his promise, no matter what. She gave him a small smile before she wrapped her arms around him. Hiccup happily hugged her back. "I love you, Astrid," he said. Astrid smiled at his words, and hugged him tighter. "I love you too, Hiccup," she said. They both pulled out of the embrace, and started to lean in for a kiss. Just then, a voice caught their attention. "Hiccup! Are you there?"

It was Fishlegs.

They both turned to see him running into the clearing as fast as his legs would carry him. "Have either of you seen Snotlout and the twins?," he asked, "No one has seen them since this morning." "They're probably up to mischief, no doubt," Astrid said, disappointed that the moment had been ruined. Of course, none of them knew how right she was.

* * *

Snotlout and the twins were still throwing weapons at Mortem, who was covered in scratches and bruises. "How about this one?" Snotlout said as he threw a mace at the wounded dragonet. Mortem covered his eyes, waiting desperately for the danger to go away. The mace hit him hard in the stomach. The twins nearly fell down laughing.

"WHAT IN THOR'S NAME IS GOING ON HERE?!"

Snotlout and the twins turned to see Stoick standing there, giving them a death glare. His booming voice scared Snotlout so much, that he tripped over the barrel, spilling the remaining contents on the ground. Seeing the teens hiding there with the weapons, and Mortem covered in scratches and bruises, it didn't take a genius to figure out what had been happening. "It's not my fault," Tuffnut said, "It was all Ruffnut's idea!" "No, it wasn't!" Ruffnut yelled at her brother.

"I don't care whose idea it was," Stoick said impatiently, "I want all of the weapons put away, and none of you are allowed to touch any of them for the rest of the week!"

Of course, who could argue with the chief?

* * *

After Hiccup had been told what had happened to Mortem, he never left his son's side for the rest of the day. He couldn't figure out why he had let a big oaf like Snotlout do such a terrible thing to his son. Sure, Snotlout said he wouldn't do it anymore, but he wasn't really the most trustworthy Viking ever.

It was in the evening when Hiccup finally decided to leave Mortem back at the house to rest. "I can't believe that I let that happen," he said as he and Astrid walked through the village, "I'm such an idiot." "Come on," Astrid said, "You had no way of knowing what they were doing, and you were already busy with..." She stopped when she noticed something in the sky. "What?" Hiccup asked as he turned to face his wife. He then noticed her gaze was on the sky, so he looked up.

Dark shadows were approaching the village. At first, it was hard to make them out, but as they came closer, Hiccup realized that it was the dragons. They had come back home, and they were carrying their babies on their backs.

One by one, the dragons all landed, and the Vikings all rushed forward to meet them and their new babies. Hiccup scanned the area for the black figure of the Night Fury, but it wasn't there. Then a loud roar came from the direction of the sky. The familiar roar of the Night Fury. Hiccup caught a glimpse of Toothless's dark shadow in the sky before the dragon landed and bounded over to meet his friend.

Hiccup couldn't've been happier to see his friend. "Toothless!" The black dragon pounced on him, licking his face eagerly. Hiccup laughed, "I'm happy to see you too, bud!" He then heard the chirp of a baby dragon. He looked up and saw two baby Night Furies on Toothless's back.

Crawling out from under the black dragon, Hiccup watched as the babies tumbled off of their father's back and onto the ground. They were the most adorable things he had ever seen in his life. It was at that moment that Starlight arrived, with one more baby Night Fury on her back.

Hiccup couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Toothless, you actually have babies!" He crouched down to pet the babies as they crawled up to him. He then felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Astrid standing above him. "Can you believe it?" he asked. Astrid shook her head, smiling. She then crouched down next to him. "Can I talk to you?" she asked. Hiccup shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

They both stood up, heading for the forge. Hiccup turned to Toothless. "We'll be back later," he said, "You can go ahead and play with your babies." Toothless nodded and turned to his children.

* * *

Hiccup and Astrid both reached the forge, which was empty. Everyone was out in the plaza, welcoming the dragons.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Hiccup asked. "I never got to thank you earlier for what you said to me," Astrid said, "You were right, you know. I was acting like I was afraid. But the truth is, I'm not sure what I was thinking." Hiccup sighed, and then held her in his arms. "I never wanted to hurt you," he said, "I want you to be happy." Astrid gave him a small smile. "I know that you do," she said, "And you really don't have to try too hard." She paused, then she hugged him tightly. "You make me happy," she said softly.

Hiccup smiled when he heard her say this, and he hugged her back. He then realized that this could be the perfect time for him to give her the present that he had made for her. He pulled out of the embrace. "Wait here," he said, and then he went into his office.

Astrid seized the opportunity to check on herself while he was gone, trying to move the strands of hair out of her eyes, and making sure that she didn't have any dirt on her clothes. Minutes later, Hiccup came out with something hidden behind his back. Astrid noticed this and tried to catch a glimpse of whatever it was he was hiding. "What have you got there?" she asked. Hiccup did his best to follow her movements, still hiding the present behind his back.

He walked up to her, holding the present behind him. "I wanted to give you something special, and I needed a very rare material to make it," he said, "It took me a while to find it, and honestly, I was sure from the first moment that it would be worth it in the end." He moved the object from behind his back and held it out to her. Astrid's eyes widened at what it was.

It was a new battle axe. And it was made out of Gronkle Iron. She looked up at Hiccup and smiled. "I have something for you too," she said, and ran off in the direction of their house.

Minutes later, she returned holding something behind her back. She walked up to him and held out the gift. It was a sword, and it was also made out of Gronkle Iron. "It was one of the first swords that Gobber made when we first discovered the Gronkle Iron," Astrid explained, "I kept it with me for a while, but I figured that you needed it more than I did. I hope you understand." Hiccup smiled at her warmly. "I do," he said. They both traded the gifts and looked at them.

Hiccup suddenly reached into his vest. "There's one more thing for you," he said. He pulled out a bracelet that he had made out of the remaining Gronkle Iron he had used to make the axe. It wasn't as beautiful as the one he had first made, but it was twice as strong, and best of all, unbreakable.

Astrid took the bracelet from him, and looked at it. She noticed that it had a heart with their initials inside engraved on it, and next to it were the words: I love you.

Astrid carefully set her axe down and started to put the bracelet on, when Hiccup stopped her. "Allow me," he said. Astrid smiled as he slid the bracelet onto her wrist. It fit perfectly. She looked up at him, and found herself staring into his emerald green eyes. "I love you too," she said. They both leaned in, and this time, they met in a passionate kiss.

Minutes later, the Gronkle Iron sword fell to the ground, landing next to the axe.

* * *

**I originally had Hiccup only make the axe, but KAOSmaster suggested that I have him make a bracelet as well, so I added that in. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Please review, follow, or favorite!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

**The holiday isn't over, and I think it's time for the return of a new friend.**

* * *

It took a while for everyone to get to the Great Hall after the dragons came back. The excitement nearly made them forget about the Snoggletog Eve party. But when everyone did arrive, it was definitely better than the party held last year. Maybe it was because Toothless had a family of his own, with his very own babies. Maybe it was because there was a new dragon with them this year. Or maybe it was because Hiccup and Astrid were finally together, as they were always meant to be. Whatever the reason, this holiday party would be one that no one would forget.

Astrid was walking around, when she noticed something on the teens' table where she normally sat down. It was a folded-up piece of paper. She walked over to the table and picked up the piece of paper and unfolded it. There was a message written on it.

_Astrid,_

_I'll never forget the Snoggletog that we had last year. Not only was it the first we ever spent with the dragons, but it was also the first that the two of us had ever spent together. I'll also never forget that time you tried to comfort me. I never got to thank you for your efforts. I'll admit that you did make me feel a little better. Especially when you...well, you know._

_If you're looking for me, I'm in the same spot where the two of us were when that happened. For me, it really brings back memories. I'll never forget that moment. And most of all, I'll never forget you._

_I love you._

_Hiccup_

Astrid smiled as she read the note, and when she read the three words near the end, her heart warmed. She remembered what had happened last Snoggletog, and she knew where to find Hiccup.

Sure enough, Hiccup was leaning up against one of the pillars that held up the Great Hall. It was the same pillar that she had tried to comfort him at. Astrid smiled as she approached. Hiccup noticed her and smiled back. He stopped leaning against the pillar and straightened himself. Astrid walked up to him and hugged him tightly. Hiccup hugged her back. Astrid sighed in the embrace. "I love you too," she said. Hiccup smiled and tightened the hug.

After a few minutes, Astrid pulled out of the embrace. "So, why did you bring us here?" she asked. Hiccup's smile widened, and he put his hand on the pillar. "Look up," he said.

Astrid did, and she noticed some kind of small plant hanging on the pillar above them. "What is that?" she asked. Hiccup continued to smile at her. "It's mistletoe," he said. "What exactly is it for?" Astrid asked, turning her attention back to Hiccup. "It's a new tradition that I happened to think of," Hiccup replied, "And no offense, but I'm probably a little better at it than you." This earned him a punch in the arm from Astrid. "What's the new tradition?" she asked.

This caused Hiccup's smiled to widen even more, and he held Astrid in his arms. "When a couple is standing underneath it, like the two of us," he said, "They have to kiss." Astrid's eyes widened, and she smiled. "You mean that you're actually ready to kiss me?" she asked. Hiccup nodded, "I am." Astrid breathed a laugh. "You actually are better at this than me," she said. "That's something I thought that I would never hear you say," Hiccup said. "I know," Astrid said softly. They both leaned in and met in a gentle, loving kiss.

Now Astrid knew why Hiccup had led her here. He wanted to show her the new tradition he had made. She knew that he had done it because he loved her, and he wanted both of them to remember this moment. Of course, they wouldn't forget it, since it was their first holiday as a married couple.

Neither of them noticed that the other teens had noticed them together. "How long do you think they've been into each other?" Ruffnut asked. Tuffnut's only reply was, "Ew."

Not paying attention to the others, Hiccup and Astrid broke the kiss and smiled at one another. "I love you, Dragon Boy," Astrid said. "I love you too, Divine Beauty," Hiccup said. Astrid's smile faded when she heard him say this. Now Hiccup was confused. "Is something wrong?" he asked. "You do know that when you call me that, you're still calling me by my name," Astrid said.

Hiccup felt like he knew why Astrid had said that. "I do know that," he said. Astrid still seemed disappointed. Hiccup sighed, "Listen, when I call you that, I know that I'm still calling you by your name, and I honestly like to call you that. And the reason that I like to call you that is, well...because I happen to really like that name."

Hearing this, Astrid looked at him, her eyes and heart filled with hope and love. "You do?" she asked softly. Hiccup smiled. "Of course I do," he said, "Because it's your name."

Astrid then smiled and hugged him tightly. Hiccup hugged her back. Astrid tightened her grip around his neck, careful not to suffocate him. "Thank you, Hiccup, for everything," she said. After a moment's pause, she then whispered, "I love you." Hiccup's smile widened, and he hugged her a little tighter. "I love you too," he said.

The other teens were still watching them, and Fishlegs's eyes were filled with tears. He was happy that two of his closest friends had made up and had gotten together. Snotlout suddenly noticed Fishlegs's tears. "Are you _crying_?" he asked. "No!" Fishlegs said, sniffling, "I just have something in my eye."

The couple still didn't pay attention to the others. They were lost in the moment. They both wanted to stay forever in each other's arms.

Just then, they heard the familiar roar of Mortem calling them. They both pulled out of the embrace and left the Great Hall to see what was wrong.

* * *

Mortem was outside, of course, lying down by the docks. He had caught sight of another ship heading toward Berk. He didn't recognize the ship, but he figured that his parents would. He called for them again. Seconds later, Hiccup and Astrid arrived, both of them riding on Toothless. Ever since Astrid became heavily pregnant, Hiccup refused to let her fly by herself. They dismounted the black dragon as Mortem gestured toward the ship.

The small group watched as the ship slowly approached. "Is it the Outcasts again?" Astrid asked, her voice tense. Hiccup took out his spyglass and looked at the ship. "That's not an Outcast ship," he said, "And it's not the Berserkers either." Astrid was relieved for a minute, but then confused. "Then what is it?" she asked. Hiccup observed the ship for a little longer before he lowered the spyglass. "I think that's Heather's ship," he said.

It took Astrid a minute to register what Hiccup had said. "Heather is back?" Hiccup nodded. "She's back." But neither of them knew why. Astrid suddenly seized the opportunity to ask Hiccup a question that had been bothering her since they met Heather. "Hiccup, did you ever actually...like Heather?"

Hiccup was a bit surprised when he heard this, but he understood why Astrid had asked him that. "I do like Heather," he said, "But more like a sister." He turned to look at his wife. "I honestly can't imagine being in this kind of relationship with any girl but you, Astrid."

Moved by her husband's words, Astrid hugged him. Hiccup hesitated, stunned for a moment, before he hugged her back. "That's one of the nicest things that you have ever said to me," Astrid said, "Thank you, Hiccup." Hiccup smiled, and then hugged her tighter. The moment was interrupted by Mortem, who growled and gestured to the ship once again. The two Vikings pulled out of the embrace and saw that the ship had gotten closer. "I'll go tell the others that Heather has arrived," Astrid said, letting go of Hiccup. She started to walk back to the Great Hall, when she stopped. She turned back to Hiccup and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. She then resumed her walk to the Great Hall. Hiccup watched her leave. Toothless walked up to him and gave him the Look. "What are you looking at?" Hiccup asked. Toothless warbled, most likely attempting to laugh.

It was about then that the ship docked. Heather was the first off. The first thing she noticed was Hiccup and Toothless, who were both smiling at her. She smiled back at her friends, and walked up to them. "It's nice to see you guys again," she said. "Yeah, it's been a while, hasn't it?" Hiccup said. Mortem tried to get a better look at Heather. It was then that Heather noticed the juvenile Red Death. "Is that a new dragon?" she asked. Hiccup shrugged. "Sort of. He's a young Red Death. But he won't hurt you. His name's Mortem." Heather nodded. "He looks friendly," she said. "He is," Hiccup replied, "You can pet him if you want."

Heather slowly advanced on Mortem, careful not to startle him. Mortem was used to this, and he let Heather rub his nose. "So, do you guys hang out a lot?" Heather asked. "A little more often than you might think," Hiccup said, "Mortem is my son." Heather froze for a few seconds before turning around and giving Hiccup a surprised and confused look. "Your son?" she asked. Hiccup shrugged. "He's adopted."

It was at that time the other teens arrived. It didn't take long for Heather to notice them. "Hey guys, it sure has been a while." Astrid laughed, "I'll say. Why did you come here?" Heather shrugged. "I guess I just wanted to spend the holiday with my new best friends." Then she noticed Astrid's stomach. Her eyes immediately widened. Astrid gave her friend a small smile. "Did Hiccup mention that we're married?" she asked. Heather didn't answer. "I think Astrid damaged Heather's brain," Tuffnut whispered. Ruffnut snickered.

It took a minute for Heather to find her voice again. She pointed to Astrid, and then at her stomach, over and over. "It's...Astrid...is...going-to-have-a-_baby_!" The last word came out in a sort of squeal. Walking up behind Heather, Hiccup put his hands on her shoulders. "Heather's going to go lie down for a while," he said, and began leading a shocked Heather away. "Pregnancy..." Heather muttered. "That's it, just breathe," Hiccup encouraged. "My...best...friend...is...pregnant!" Heather continued to mutter. "Just relax," Hiccup said, "We'll talk about this later." He continued to lead Heather away, and the shocked girl continued to mutter, "Astrid...is...having...a baby!"

Once they were gone, Snotlout was the first to speak. "Wow, okay, Heather's reaction was just _priceless!_ That was unbelievable!" This earned him a punch in the face from Astrid, who then kicked him in the back, causing him to fall to the ground. Fishlegs gulped. "Remind me to never make you angry," he said to Astrid. Snotlout groaned before announcing, "I'm okay!"

* * *

**Heather is back, and she obviously can't believe that Hiccup and Astrid are married, have a dragon for a son, and have a child on the way. And I'll admit that I actually laughed when I wrote Heather's reaction to Astrid being pregnant. The scene is based off of a Phineas and Ferb movie called Mission Marvel, the scene when Candace meets the superheroes in person. That scene really got me laughing, and I decided to make a reference to it. Please review, follow, or favorite!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

**Heather is back, and there's a little catching up for her to do. Also, Mortem will be getting a chance to meet his new cousins.**

* * *

By the time Heather finally came to her senses, everyone else was back at the Great Hall. It had taken her a while to finally register what was going on. Hiccup and Astrid were married, and they were going to have a baby. And not only that, they had adopted a dragon as their son. _I've probably been gone a lot longer than I thought,_ Heather thought to herself as she left for the Great Hall.

* * *

Mortem had re-taken his spot near the entrance to the Great Hall, and he was with Toothless and Starlight's babies. He'd been introduced to them, and he was now letting them play on his back, similar to the way the Viking kids were earlier that same day. While Jet and Eclipse play-fought, Junior went over so that he rested on top of Mortem's head. The Red Death smiled up at the baby Night Fury.

Suddenly, Eclipse stopped playing with her brother. She jumped off of Mortem's back and went running off towards a building near the Great Hall. Mortem, Jet, and Junior watched as Eclipse started sniffing for something, crooning softly.

* * *

Toothless and Starlight were in the Great Hall with the rest of the family. They had trusted Mortem with protecting their children so they could talk with the other dragons. "_It is rewarding to have little ones and watch them grow,_" Starlight said to Stormfly. "_True,_" Stormfly said, "_But sometimes it can be hard work._"

Hiccup was with Astrid, of course. They were both a little worried about the way Heather reacted when she realized Astrid was pregnant. Clearly, she had been away from Berk and her friends for a lot longer than they had thought.

"Do you really think of Heather as a sister?" Astrid asked. Hiccup sighed quietly. "When I was being nice to her," he said, "I was only trying to be her friend. Even if she did have any interest in me, I wouldn't turn you down for her. She's more like the sister I never had. I could never..." "Imagine being in this kind of relationship with any girl but me," Astrid finished, "I know." Hiccup looked at her and smiled. "And you don't have to worry about Heather," Astrid said, "What happened is all in the past."

As if on cue, Heather arrived at the Great Hall and met up with her two best friends. "Hi," she said nervously, still taking into account that Astrid was carrying a baby. "Hey, Heather," Hiccup said cheerfully, "We were just talking about you." "Is it about my relationships?" Heather asked. "How did you know?" Astrid asked. "Well, it was either that or something about the baby," Heather said, "Have you guys thought about names?"

Astrid and Hiccup hadn't really thought much about what to name their baby, but they did have a few names in mind. They had to have plenty of suggestions, since they didn't know for sure whether the baby was a boy or a girl. "We have a few names picked out," Hiccup admitted. Heather nodded. "That's great. And Hiccup?" "Yes?" Hiccup asked. "Is it okay if I talk to you for a second?" Heather asked. Uncertain, Hiccup looked at Astrid, who nodded. "Sure, I guess," Hiccup said nervously. Astrid then walked away.

"So, what is it?" Hiccup asked. "I want to say that I'm sorry," Heather said, "I heard you say to Astrid that you loved her, and you thought of me as your sister. I'm sorry if I acted like I was trying to win you over. And I'm sorry that I didn't tell you the truth about why I was sent to Berk. The truth is, I think of you as the brother I never had." Hiccup hadn't thought that Heather thought of him as family, though it did seem clear that they were good friends. "I guess I shouldn't have trusted you as easily as I did. But I'll agree that you could have asked for help. And if you did, we would have helped you." "Really?" Heather asked. Hiccup shrugged. "Of course we would. Cause that's what friends and family do." "That actually makes me feel a little better," Heather admitted, "Thanks...Brother." She then hugged him tightly.

Hiccup was stunned. He wasn't sure if he should hug her back. He noticed that Astrid was standing to the side, watching them. She smiled at Hiccup and nodded. Hiccup then smiled and hugged Heather back. "You're welcome...Sister." Heather smiled. They both pulled out of the embrace, and Hiccup turned to Astrid. "How much of that did you see?" he asked. Astrid shrugged. "Pretty much all of it." "You weren't offended were you?" Hiccup asked. "No, Hiccup," Astrid said gently, "Though you did look pretty surprised when she hugged you." "Yeah, I think I almost had a heart attack," Hiccup said. Realizing what he said, he turned to Heather. "No offense." But Heather wasn't offended.

Heather turned to Astrid. "Hey, if you guys are married, does that mean I should think of Astrid as my sister?" They couple looked at her. "Just asking," Heather said quickly. Astrid smiled. "I don't really see why not."

Just then, Eclipse arrived and bounded over to them, warbling urgently. "Is that a baby Night Fury?" Heather asked. "Yes, that's one of Toothless's babies," Hiccup said. Eclipse warbled again, an object in her mouth muffling it a bit. Hiccup knelt down next to her. "What have you got in your mouth?" he asked. The other teens then hurried over to them. "It just appeared out of nowhere and scared the other babies," Fishlegs said.

"What do you have in your mouth?" Hiccup asked Eclipse again. Eclipse bowed her head and spat out a small, slightly damp ball of fuzz. "A ball of fuzz?" Ruffnut asked in confusion. There was a soft chirping sound. "A _chirping_ ball of fuzz?" Tuffnut asked, in as much confusion as Ruffnut. Heather knelt down to get a better look. She then gasped. "What is it?" Hiccup asked. "It's a baby blue jay," Heather said in a soft, quiet voice.

Sure enough, the ball of fuzz was a baby blue jay; cold, wet and hungry. The baby continued to chirp, asking for someone to feed it. Eclipse immediately responded, running outside, and returning minutes later with some freshly dug-up worms in her mouth. The bird stopped chirping long enough to swallow all of the worms offered to her. Eclipse smiled as the baby bird ate its supper. "I think the bird thinks that dragon is its mother," Heather said. "Yeah, but where did they find it?" Hiccup asked. Eclipse heard Hiccup's question, and led all of the teens outside.

* * *

Minutes later, Hiccup and the others found themselves looking at a broken bird's nest, with shattered eggshells lying around. Not far from the nest were the dead bodies of the baby bird's brother and sister. They had died of hunger and hypothermia. The mother bird was unable to find the nest, as it had been blown off of its perch, predictably somewhere in the nearby forest. All in all, it was a sad sight to see. Poor, hungry little creatures were unable to survive in such cold climates without the comfort of others. Eclipse had found to last surviving baby bird just in time to save it from a terrible fate.

"Can you believe that something like this happened?" Astrid asked, her voice full of pity. Hiccup said nothing, the thought of the helpless baby birds haunting his mind. _What if something like this happens to our baby?_ he thought. Small and helpless, their baby would be dependent on the two of them entirely. If he ever made one huge mistake, he was afraid it would cost the life of their baby. He couldn't mess up. He just couldn't. Now he knew how Astrid felt when she wasn't sure about having the baby.

"At least the dragon was able to save this one," Heather said, pointing at the baby bird on Eclipse's back. The other teens walked off, showing very little interest in what had happened.

That was the day that they met Skye, the blue jay that Eclipse had rescued.

* * *

**It was suggested by Stargazer767 that Eclipse would have a pet blue jay, and this is the story of how they met. And now Hiccup is starting to have worried thoughts about the baby. Wouldn't you if you saw such a sad sight as dead baby animals, with no one there to help them survive? I don't want to upset anyone, I just want to make a point. Review, follow, or favorite!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

**A chapter dedicated to whoever Guest is. If he or she likes stories like mine, then he or she could probably write some stories of their own. If they ever become a FanFiction member, I hope that my stories go on their favorites list. Also, all chapters with a romantic moment between Astrid and Hiccup is dedicated to all Hicstrid fans put there, especially to KAOSMaster and Midnight' Dragon Conquerer.**

* * *

It was at least one week after Snoggletog, and the family of Night Furies weren't quite sure how to take a blue jay being added to the mix. But at least Eclipse was happy that she got to keep Skye with her. The baby blue jay needed someone to take care of her.

However, even though Skye was just a bird, she was still hard to take care off. Eclipse had to bring her worms at least five times a day, but to her it seemed like once every hour. If it wasn't worms, it was small amounts of water, for whenever Skye was thirsty. And if it wasn't either of those, then Skye was going to the bathroom. And if wasn't any of those, then it was nap time. Sometimes for both Skye and Eclipse. Obviously, Eclipse was learning the "joys of motherhood" the hard way.

"_Do you still think that it was right for us to let her keep the bird?_" Toothless asked his mate. "_Of course I do,_" Starlight replied, "_The bird needs someone to take care of her, and Eclipse needs to learn about responsibility. I think that this is a perfect experience for both of them._" Little did either of them know, Junior was examining his father's tail. Being named after his father, he vowed to follow in his footprints. And he had already decided what he had to do first.

* * *

Meanwhile, Heather explained to her friends that her parents had decided to move to Berk for an indefinite amount of time. "So does that mean that you're actually going to live here for a while?" Hiccup asked. Heather shrugged. "I guess so." "Relax," Astrid said, laying a hand on Heather's shoulder, "We can all get used to it." She turned to Hiccup. "Right?" Hiccup nodded.

It was about then that Mortem showed up, wondering what all the chatting was about. Hiccup was the first to notice him. "Well, Mortem, looks like Heather's going to stay with us for a while," he said. Mortem tried to shrug. He didn't mind Heather staying at all.

Just then, a sudden movement caught Mortem's eye. He turned to see Toothless Junior running in the direction of the forge.

* * *

Toothless hadn't noticed that Junior had left. He had decided that it was time to teach his children how to fly. And he was starting with Jet.

"_Remember, your tail controls everything,_" he told his son, "_Your direction, your speed, and your accuracy._" Jet nodded. "_Now, we're going to take things nice and slow,_" Toothless said, "_Spread your wings wide._" Jet spread his sings as wide as they could go. "_On my count, push off the ground and flap your wings like I do, okay?_" Jet nodded again. "_O-Kay._"

Toothless crouched down, and Jet did the same. "_One..._" Jet kept a close eye on his father. "_Two..._" Both Toothless and Jet's muscles tensed. "_Three!_"

Both dragons took off of the ground, flapping their wings. Toothless couldn't stay airborne for long, due to the fact that he had stopped using the tailfin that helped him fly by himself. But Jet kept going. He flapped his wings, taking to the sky. "_That's it! Keep going!_" Toothless encouraged.

Jet kept going. In no time at all, he was flying fast through the air, turning and rising expertly. _He's an amazing flyer,_ Toothless thought to himself, _He's so fast. Almost like...a jet._

Jet kept flying until he got too tired to continue. He landed in front of Toothless, whose eyes were wide. "_Did I do badly?_" Jet asked. Toothless shook his head. "_Are you kidding? Jet, that was incredible! You're a natural!_" Jet shifted his feet. He probably would've blushed if he could. He was happy to here his dad say that.

Just then, Starlight approached. "_Toothless, have you seen little Tootles?_" Toothless shook his head. "_No, I haven't seen him. I thought he was with you._" Starlight shook her head, a worried look in her eyes. "_I thought that he was with you, but Eclipse told me that you were teaching Jet how to fly._" "_I was,_" Toothless replied, "_And he's really good at it too, he's like a jet._" Starlight gave a slight smile. "_I knew the name was perfect,_" she said.

Jet then stepped forward. "_Last I saw Tootles, he said he was going to be like Dad._" Toothless and Starlight turned to face him. "_Did he say where he was going?_" Starlight asked. Jet shrugged. "_He said something about the forge in the village,_" he said. Toothless turned away, thinking about what Jet had said. Just then, he realized what Junior was up to.

"_Oh, no._"

* * *

Just as Jet had said, Junior was down in the forge. His need to be like his dad had tempted him to try and lose one of his tailfins. He grabbed a sword in his small but strong jaws, trying to cut his tailfin off. Just then, he heard his dad's voice.

"_Junior! What are you doing?!_" Junior turned to see his father in the doorway, his eyes wide at what his son was attempting to do. Junior set down the sword and looked up at his father with a guilty look. "_I want to be like you, Daddy._"

Toothless made his way into the forge and walked up to his son. "_You tried to cut your tailfin off to be like me? Why?_" Junior looked down at his feet. "_You named me after you, right?_" Toothless nodded. "_Yes, I did. We did._" Junior looked up at him. "_I thought that I should be like you, since we have the same name._"

Toothless shook his head. "_No, Junior, you can't try and be like me. You have to be who you are._" Now Junior was confused. "_But why?_" he asked. Toothless leaned in and looked deeply into his son's eyes. "_Because the reason that I am who I am is because I chose who I wanted to be,_" he said gently, "_And what's important right now is that you chose which path of you life you want to take. You can try to be like me, and probably not end up as happy as you think you would be, or you can choose who you want to be, and end up as happy as you can be._"

Junior thought long and hard about what his father had just said. "_I want...I want...I think I want to choose my own path._" Toothless smiled at his son. "_It's alright for you to think of me as your role model,_" he said, "_But what's more important is that you choose your own path. Appreciate who you are, and do not hesitate to be yourself. You don't have to live your life in someone else's shadow._"

"_How do you know all that?_" Junior asked. "_I learned that from a good friend of mine,_" Toothless said with a smile. Junior smiled back. Toothless then picked up his son and placed him on his back. "_We better get you back to the others, they need to know that you're safe._" Junior nodded as Toothless headed back to their home.

"_I love you, Junior._"

Junior smiled when he heard his father say that. He lay down on Toothless's back, and snuggled into a cozy spot.

"_I love you too, Dad._"

* * *

**I'll admit, this is a little short, but I'm sure that it is a good chapter. I think that it is really important for everyone to be who they are, and not try to be someone else. Review, follow, or favorite.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

**I made this a bit like a backstory, only it contains more than one story. It will focus on the growing relationship of our two favorite Vikings.**

* * *

Hiccup had gone to work in the forge, and he told Astrid that he was working on a surprise. As much as Astrid could be impatient at times, she knew that she had to wait 'til later to know what it was. So she decided to talk with Heather to pass the time. It went fine for a few hours, but much later, Heather was beginning to regret chatting with her friend.

"Heather, aren't Hiccup's eyes the perfect shade of green?"

"Uh-huh."

"And isn't it cute, the way he smiles at me with that goofy grin of his?"

"Uh-huh."

"And you know when Hic-"

"Uh-huh."

"Heather, are you unconsciously saying 'uh-huh' to make me think you're listening to me, even though you're not?!"

"Uh-huh."

"Heather, listen to me!"

Astrid punched her friend in the arm to get her attention. Hey were both in the Great Hall, and Heather was regretting ever talking to her, and there was a good reason too.

"Well, do you blame me?" Then, doing her best imitation of Astrid, Heather said, "Oh, Hiccup and I are having a baby! Did you know that Hiccup sometimes puts mint in his breath? Have you ever noticed that some of Hiccup's freckles look like constellations?" Then, in her normal voice, she complained, "I'm starting to think that the only reason you're hanging out with me is to talk about _Hiccup_!"

"Heather, that's not why I'm hanging out with you. I just can't get my mind off of him." "Is it because you guys are married?" Heather asked. Astrid shrugged. "That's part of the reason." "What about the rest of it?" Heather asked. Astrid sighed. "Most of our lives, I had a small crush on him, but I ignored it, because he wasn't much like a Viking, and I was too focused on what had happened with the Flightmare, and trying to get my revenge on it. When I realized that he had done something that even I couldn't do, I saw a part of him that no one else knew. Ever since then, I've been trying to make it up to him. He needs someone to be there for him, to care for him, to love him. And as surprising as it may seem, I'm that someone."

"Wow," Heather said surprised, "That was...wow. That was a little unlike you. Usually you're very tough and sophisticated. What happened to all that?" "I'm still like that," Astrid said, "It's just that I want Hiccup to know how I feel about him." "Haven't you done that already?" Heather asked. "I've done it many times," Astrid said, "I want him to remember that for as long as I want him to." "Can you tell me one of the times you did?" Heather asked. She didn't seem to mind anymore that they were talking about Hiccup.

Astrid sighed. "Well, a week after Mortem hatched, we went down to Thor's Beach to have some time alone..."

* * *

_Flashback:_

Hiccup was down at Thor's Beach with Toothless, waiting for Astrid to arrive. They had promised to meet there to talk in private. As much as the two of them liked to show their feelings for each other, they were rather nervous about showing it in public. That's why they always tried to meet in secret.

Hiccup was nervous. Astrid wasn't usually late for anything, especially if it was training, or if it had something to do with them being together.

Toothless walked up behind Hiccup, feeling sorry for his friend. Hiccup sighed. "I don't know what's keeping her, bud. Do you think maybe I should go check on her, or something?" Toothless looked at Hiccup as though he had two heads. Hiccup sighed again. "I'm sorry, Toothless, but I can't stop thinking about her. You know, I love her a lot." Toothless warbled, annoyed. Hiccup turned to look at the dragon. "Don't worry, I love you too, bud." Toothless's ears perked, and his eyes lit up.

"That was very nice of you to say," said a voice.

Hiccup turned to see Astrid standing nearby with Stormfly. "Well, look who finally decided to show up," Hiccup said in a sarcastic tone. Astrid breathed a laugh. "Sorry I took so long," she said, "I had to convince my parents that I was going out to train in the woods." Hiccup laughed. "Lucky they don't have to check on you," he said. Astrid nodded.

After a few minutes of silence, Hiccup sat down, looking out at the ocean. It was sunset, and it was illuminating the ocean with shades of orange and pink. Astrid sat down next to Hiccup. After a while, Hiccup put his arm around her, pulling her closer to him. They stayed that way for a while, until something crossed Hiccup's mind.

"Hey, Astrid?" Now confused and concerned, Astrid looked up at him. "Yes Hiccup?" There were a few seconds of silence before Hiccup asked, "Remember when I said that training dragons isn't the only thing I think about?" Astrid shrugged. "Yeah, but I probably wasn't really listening. Why?" Hiccup turned so that they could look at each other better. "You never asked me what else I think about," he said. "Well, what else do you think about?" Astrid asked. Hiccup smiled at her, then leaned in and whispered his answer.

"You."

Hearing what he had said, Astrid smiled back at him. "I thought so," she said. They both hugged each other tightly. "I think about you a lot too," Astrid said. Hiccup's smile widened. "I know."

They stayed that way for what seemed like forever, before Astrid broke the silence. "I love you, Hiccup." Hearing her words, Hiccup hugged her tighter. "I love you too, Astrid." Astrid's smile widened. "I know."

_End Flashback_

* * *

"I wanted him to remember those words for a long time," Astrid said, "I want him to know that I'm sorry for all I did and said to him, and that I love him more than anything in my life."

Heather was very much breathless. "Wow. You really love him, don't you?" Astrid nodded. "With all my heart."

"Are there any other times that you like to remember?" Heather asked. Now she didn't know why she got so frustrated earlier. Astrid shrugged. "We were talking in the cove about a couple of days after going to Thor's Beach..."

* * *

_Flashback:_

Astrid and Hiccup had decided to go to the cove to be alone, since they were the only ones who knew where to find it. Toothless and Stormfly were in another part of the cove with Mortem, so they wouldn't disturb their riders. The two Vikings were sitting on a large rock, looking out at the pond in the cove.

"So, what made you change your mind about me?" Hiccup asked. Astrid was confused. "What?" Hiccup sighed. "What was it on that flight we went on that changed you mind about me?" "It wasn't just you," Astrid said, "I also changed my mind..." "About the dragons, I know," Hiccup finished. Astrid sighed. "I guess on that flight, I realized that I was wrong about you and Toothless. There was something about you that everyone failed to see, and you showed it to me. You did something I could never imagine doing myself, and I started to respect that. That was when I fell in love with you."

"thank you for sharing that with me, Astrid," Hiccup said. Astrid turned to look at him. "Don't tell anyone that I said any of that," she said. Hiccup gave her a small smile. "You know I won't."

They were silent for a minute before Hiccup asked, "Do you remember the day we met?" Astrid sighed. "I've recently been trying not to," she said. Hiccup sighed. "We were about three years old, it was nighttime, and I was afraid to go home because I was worried that a dragon would jump out at me. Then you saw me, and you walked up to me. I was crying, and you slapped me in the face," he rubbed his face where she had hit him, "and then I looked up at you. You hair was in two braids instead of one, and you were wearing a helmet. You asked me why I was just sitting there, and I said that I was afraid, and then I asked you if you could walk me home. You didn't like the idea, but you said yes anyway. When we got to my house, you started to walk away, and I said thank you. You stopped, and I asked what your name was, and you introduced yourself. After I told you my name, you left. That was the day I fell in love with you."

"Why?"

Hiccup was confused. "What?" Astrid sighed. "Why did you fall in love with me, after what I did to you?" Now it was Hiccup's turn to sigh. "Because you weren't afraid of anything, and you didn't let anything get in your way. You were strong, tough, and brave; and even though when there was something that tried to stop you, you just kept going. You kept trying to get what you wanted, and that's what everyone wanted me to be like." Hearing what he said, Astrid grabbed Hiccup's shoulder, leaned in, and kissed his cheek. Hiccup turned to look at her. Astrid smiled. "Not everyone," she said. Hiccup smiled back at her.

"You're also a bit unpredictable at times," he said. Astrid breathed a laugh. "I know. I'm more of the old-fashioned take it down with an axe and then lop its head off kind of girl." Hiccup laughed. "I know. That's one of the reasons why I love you." Astrid's smile widened. "I love you too."

They both took hold of each other's hand, smiling at one another. Astrid then leaned in and kissed Hiccup on the lips. Hiccup's eyes widened before the closed as he relaxed and kissed her back. There were many reasons why he loved her, but sometimes it was hard for him to count how many. After about a minute, they broke the kiss. "You know, sometimes I think that we were meant to be," Hiccup said. "You mean like true love?" Astrid asked. Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, like true love."

Toothless, Stormfly, and Mortem all watched from the other side of the cove. This experience would certainly be one that none of them would forget.

_End__ Flashback_

* * *

"Is that really how you guys met?" Heather asked. "Yes, it is," Astrid said, "And I haven't been able to forget it. I treated him so badly, I don't even want to think about it." "I thought you liked being tough," Heather said. Astrid sighed. "I do, but not to Hiccup. Do you even know how long he was treated like an outcast? He needs someone to love and love him in return."

"I didn't know you felt that way," said a voice.

Astrid and Heather turned to see Hiccup standing nearby. Astrid blushed lightly. "How much of that did you hear?" she asked. "Probably everything starting at the first memory," Hiccup said, "So, do you really feel that way?" Astrid sighed. There was no use of hiding the truth from him. "I do feel that way, and I have since you told me that you love me."

Hiccup walked over to her, not caring that Heather was watching. "Astrid, I've always forgiven you." He then held her in his arms. "Everything that happened that involved you hurting me is all in the past. You can hit me until I can't feel my arm, and I'll never change my mind about you. But if I made you someone you're not, then maybe we shouldn't spend as much time together as we do." With that, Astrid punched him in the arm. "You don't have to worry about the fact that I'm not acting violent around you," she said, "It just goes to show how much I love you." Hiccup smiled at her. "I love you too."

Heather stood by, silently watching her two friends talk and confess their feelings. As she watched, both Astrid and Hiccup leaned in for a kiss.

Heather didn't mind that one bit.

* * *

**A small conflict between Astrid and Heather, and a few added Hicstrid scenes. Also, you'll all have to wait until the next chapter to find out what Hiccup's surprise is. Review, follow, or favorite.**


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